Category Archives: Parables

Area 51

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Area_51Area 51

The first time I knew about ‘area 51’ was when the movie Independence Day portrayed aliens bent on the destruction of earth. These beings had visited the earth before and we met them at the secretive ‘Area 51’. They were ruthless, savage, beings who hated all things human and were bent upon the destruction of what they saw as vermin.

As members of the human race we find it difficult to understand how anyone could be so certain that there is no good in us to the point that we should be destroyed without pity. But this is how these aliens viewed us earthlings.

‘He was in the world, and the world was made through him. Yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own creation, yet his own people did not receive him.” John 1:10-11.

“Who among you can find fault in me?”(John 8:46) Then why are you plotting to kill Me?” (John 7:19) Though Jesus was light, love and all that is good, pure, unpretentious, and self-sacrificing, He was alien to this world. It seems we felt toward Him similar to how those aliens felt toward earth’s inhabitants. “He came to His own.” Being betrayed by a friend’s kiss, abandoned by friends and family alike, He faced those of He came to save crying “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”.”We don’t want this Jesus. We would rather have this murdering Barabbas among us.” (Matthew 27:21-23) Could nails or spear pierce the heart more than these words uttered by those He loved enough to die for?
Examining my own fragile love, observing how easily I can judge another for less than I myself have done; I think I am one of a race of aliens so extraordinarily different by nature than one such as Christ as to be a member of another race. For me this explains how we could treat Him so badly, so very badly. At the heart of it, this Christ is so different from us. The members of our race seem capable of an endless, sordid list of ever worsening deeds of destruction, torment, greed and self gratification.

Watching the news, witnessing the endless stream of brutality and sordid behavior among us, it is not hard to understand how One such as He could meet such a fate. Perhaps the real surprise is not that we killed Him but that His time among us lasted as long as it did.

Wonder of wonders that He could love endlessly a worm such as me… such as you.

“Oh, love that will not let me go. I rest my weary soul in thee. I give you back the life I owe. And in your ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be.” (Kurt Kaiser)

How do you keep a magic wand from going off?

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magic-wandHow do you keep a magic wand from going off?

I have a magic wand on my desk. I have never used it and I have lost the instruction booklet that came with it. What I remember is that each person who uses it may only use it one time. I bought it six years ago at Hogwarts. Yes, Hogwarts. You may be asking yourself, “Doesn’t he know that Harry Potter is pretend?”
Yes, I do know that but nevertheless, six years ago while touring in England Betsy and I visited Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, Great Britain where filming was done for portions of the Harry Potter movies.
Now back to my dilemma. If I can only use it one time what should I wish for? Here is a list of starters: A new car, new house, money, good job, no job, perfect health, longevity, world peace, etc. But each time I think of something to wish for eventually I realize that it wouldn’t be the best thing to wish for. New cars wear out, new houses age, money gets spent, bad jobs can become good ones and good jobs can turn sour. When money comes does it automatically come with wisdom to use it wisely? When we don’t like our work, can we tell the difference between that being our problem and someone else’s problem?
This morning, speaking with several dozen four year olds in our weekly chapel service I asked them what they would wish for if they only had one wish. (Before you get upset, I explained that this was all pretend). Here is the list in part: A new car, a tractor, for Arthur to come alive, a boyfriend (boyfriend!) more than one little girl wished this. One wise four year old girl said, “For bad people to stop being bad.”. Out of the mouth of babes!
I ended our time together by saying that I wasn’t going to let them touch it because I was afraid it might go off! And anyway, God was the only one who was smart enough to know how to use the thing. I also explained that God loved us very much and that He was more than willing to listen to our requests and that if it was good for us He would be more than happy to give it to us. One of the teachers commented that I should lock it safely away under glass!
We all have a ‘want list’. With our want list let us pray, “Lord, fix my want-er because it is broken and seems to always want the wrong things.”

Wanted: A car with a 400 gallon gas tank.

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Want Ad: In search of a car with a 400 gallon gas tank. Call me quick!Image

  I can’t find a car with a 400 gallon gas tank!  If I wished to travel from Dunn, NC to Barstow, CA, the western end of I40, I would need that much gas.  Traveling I40 it would take 196 gallons of gas (assuming 25 mpg) to travel the 2,465 miles.  However, calculating the weight of 196 gallons of gas at 6 pounds per gallon, that adds 1,182 pounds of weight to carry.  I figure that will reduce the mileage so that an extra 200 gallons will be necessary for the round trip.  But I can’t find a car with a 400 gallon gas tank anywhere!
   Betsy, my wife suggested (stiffing laughter) that I would be much better off assuming that I could stop along the way as my tank neared empty and fill up with gas.   What a brilliant idea!  
    By now you must think I am the dumbest traveler in the world.  Doesn’t everyone understand that cars are built assuming a nationwide network of gas stations to refill the tank?

   We understand that no destination of great distance on the American road can be reached without stopping to refill our tank.  In the same way our wise heavenly Father knows every need in each new day.  He understands our need for rest, nourishment, shelter, companionship and love.
   Jesus tells us, “Look at the birds.  They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them.  And you are far more valuable to Him than they are.”  (Matthew 6:26-27)
   As surely as we don’t need to wear our cars out hauling around a ton of gasoline, we don’t need to wear ourselves out hauling around a ton of tomorrow’s worries!

Five Degrees of Quiet

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Five Degrees of Quiet

At times it may seem hard to bring a quiet and calm to our soul. It is not so much finding calm as it is how deep the calm. Here I describe five depths or degrees of quiet and listening.

The first degree of quite is being in a constant state of stillness. This kind of quiet is like a quiet pool of water interrupted at times by pebbles or rocks thrown into the water or by branches falling into the water. These ripples sent across that quiet interrupts it to some degree. These disturbances come from living in a world alienated from God and from that in ourselves which strains against the reign of Christ.

The second degree of quiet means pulling away from this. This is harder and requires greater movement to become part of a more undistrubable quiet. The first quiet can exist even in a crowd. This second degree of quiet is discovered alone.

The third degree of quiet grows from the second. In the second degree there is something inside that longs to go back to the place of activity where ripples often come upon our pond. There is a longing for the world around us with all its activity and distraction. But in the second degree of quiet if we persist long enough or deeply enough we find ourselves transported to another place. This third degree of quiet is one where we no longer wish to leave. We sing of this “In the Garden”;

I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

The fourth degree of quiet is found at that place between the two words; the seen and the unseen. It is the place between life and the life to come. Mostly people only come to this place one time. Sometimes they venture there in a coma or in those hours or days as their body is beginning to lose any ability to return to the place where ripples come. The quiet is deeper here for from it there is no return. This is not a place of quiet from which there is retreat. This is the deepening place of quiet which I have often observed in those dying from illness and lingering nearer and nearer the time of departure to the final, the fifth degree of quiet. Here the presence of even those nearest and dearest to us fades and the presence of those inhabiting eternity, that vast cloud of witnesses who have traveled this road before grows ever clearer.